BIG MUSIC NAMES PAY TRIBUTE TO GUITARIST MICK
LEGENDS of the music industry have paid tribute to a “hugely talented” guitarist from Burton who played on Top of the Pops and alongside huge names including Joan Armatrading.
Axeman Mick Dyche also starred with rock band Wild Turkey, bluesrock virtuoso Pat Travers and folk legend Maddy Prior.
He recently died after a short battle with cancer, aged 67.
Dyche is perhaps best known as the man responsible for the distinctive lead riff in the 1979 Sniff ‘n’ the Tears international hit Driver’s Seat.
And since news of his sad death broke, an array of former musical partners have come forward to outline just how good a player – and man – he was.
Joan Armatrading said: “I’m very sad to hear of the passing of Mick. He was in my band for one of my tours.
“He was a fine guitarist and I enjoyed his playing very much. He was also a very, very nice person.
“I send my condolences to his family and friends.”
Since his days living in Burton, Dyche had lived in London in the 1970s before eventually moving to Herefordshire with his family.
Sniff ‘n’ the Tears singer-guitarist Paul Roberts, who has just overseen the release of the band’s 13th album – Random Elements – played with Dyche for two years.
He said: “I was told a few days ago by our old drummer, Luigi Salvoni, and it was a big shock. I know Mick had been ill and I hadn’t seen him for years.
“I had no idea his illness had got as bad as it had.
“Mick was a great guy in many ways – not the most outward person on first meeting, but he was a nice guy when you got to know him and he opened up.
“As a musician, he was a very particular type of guitarist – very ragged – and there was only one Mick Dyche when it came to playing guitar.
“He was great to tour with and good company.
“Anyone who’s ever been involved in music knows there are a lot of very talented musicians people don’t find out about.
“I think Mick falls into that category.”
One of the more colourful characters whose band Dyche graced with his guitar skills was cult alternative country legend Hank Wangford.
Wangford remembers Dyche, who toured with him in the 80s, as a “spiky” character.
He said: “I really liked that about him.
“He knew what he wanted and certainly didn’t suffer fools lightly.
“He was refreshingly opinionated and was good to go on the road with.
“Mick played on one of my records called Rodeo Radio – the only record I made to which I don’t own the rights, so I don’t have any copies, sadly. “He’d come up with a lot of stuff – I’ve been lucky enough to play with some great musicians and Mick was undoubtedly one of them.
“He was a great guitar player. “It’s always the lovely blokes who die and us b **** rds always seem to hang on.”
Dyche leaves behind long-term partner and fellow-musician Pat Tate, 59, and sons Ryland and Milo, 28 and 24 respectively.
He died on December 21 and his funeral takes place on Wednesday,
He was a fine guitarist and I enjoyed his playing very much. He was also a very nice person.
Joan Armatrading
PLAYER WAS ON TOP OF THE POPS AND PLAYED WITH SOME BIG NAMES OF MUSIC
January 16 at 2.15pm at Hereford Crematorium.
Driver’s Seat was a big international hit – but could have been even bigger
It charted in the late 1970s, but Driver’s Seat has featured on films and TV shows since the late 90s including Boogie Nights, Anchorman 2 and The Walking Dead.
The catchy tune, featured on debut album Fickle Heart, originally charted in the Top 20 in the US, Canada, New Zealand and the Netherlands.
And when it edged close to the UK Top 40, the band were invited to play on Top of the Pops – an opportunity that usually catapults singles further up the charts.
However, in a ridiculous bout of bad luck, the Tears’ TV appearance coincided with a strike at the EMI pressing plant, so, in the words of frontman Roberts, “you couldn’t buy a copy anywhere”.
Roberts said: “One of the things that happened to the band because of Driving Seat was we went from clubs to bigger gigs much quicker than we should’ve.
“We toured Europe and America, when I really got to know Mick, and Germany, Holland, Scandinavia and the US were our main markets.”
‘We never felt like we’d be the Beatles’
Sniff ‘n’ the Tears, for the most part, did not know one another before they got together.
Roberts was tasked with creating demos for a French record label – and Dyche was one of those drafted in by drummer Salvoni when he was putting together the band.
Roberts said: “We weren’t that kind of band – a bunch of mates who got together and started playing music.
“Luigi put together the band when I was a singer-songwriter – they were into it as long as it paid and they were enjoying it.
“We never felt like we would be the Beatles.”
It was not long before fellow-guitarist Loz Netto broke away to start his own solo project – and took Dyche with him.
Roberts said: “I could see Loz had his own ideas and that was always in the back of my mind.
“Mick decided to join his project and I don’t know if it was the best decision on his part, to be honest.”
How did Mick end up playing with Hank Wangford? Wangford is a musician who explores the darker, stranger side of country music – so perhaps it was not entirely out of character to employ someone outside his traditional genre when he was looking for a new guitarist.
Wangford said: “Mick was living in London at the time and I was checking out a lot of guitar players.
“He was really good and we asked him if he’d come and join our band, whicw he did for a couple of years.
“He was a kind of ‘spiky’ guitar player, so he fitted in just fine with what we were playing.
“I play country music, but it’s very much my own kind.
“Back then, no-one wanted to play it except covers bands in country clubs, where we weren’t really welcome because we didn’t play any covers.
“He was in his mid-30s when he was playing with us, but he was still one of the younger members.
“By the time I’d started the band professionally in about 1980, I was 39.”
He said: “I know a few people in Burton and they’ve all had good things to say about Mick.
“There’s a book on my shelf called Rock This Town by Rob Cox, which is about the rock history of Burton - it’s fantastic stuff.”